The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1887-12-10
The Iron WolL

Il conducted the services. two months
ago at the funeral of one of my parish
oners,' said clergyman ~lIe had been
a farmer. Forty years ago, asa young
man. he commenced work for himself
and Young wife with one hundred
acres Of land, and ended with one hum
dred. lie was skilled, industrious
workman, but laid by no money in the
bank. | understood the reason as
listened to The comments of his friends
and neighbors. 1t was always warm,
hospitable house, said one. The poor
man was never turned away from that
door Ills sons and daughters all re-
ceiyed the best education which his
means could command. One is oler-
gyman, one a civil engineer, two are
teachers; all lead, happy useful lives
~Said another neighbor: Those
children sitting there and weeping are
the orphans ofa friend. lie gave them
a home. That crippled girl is his
wife's niece. She lived with them for
years. That young widow who is also
weeping SO bitterly was waif that he
rescued from the slums of the city
And so the story went ON. Not of a
miser who had heaped dollar npon
dollar, but of a servant of God, who
helped many lives, and had lifted many
of them out of misery and ignorance
into life of joy. On my way home
from the funeral stopped at the farm
of another parishoner, who said to me,
in shrill rasping voice;
so poor Gould is deads lie left Il
poor account Not penny more than
he got from his father. Now started
with nothing, and look there, pointing
to his broad fields. i own down to
the creek. Dye know why? When |
started to keep house, brought this
into ii the first thing taking an iron
savings bank from the closet. Every
penny could save went down its jaws,
It's surprising how many pennies you
can save when you've purpose. My
purpose was to die worth one hun
dred thousand dollars. Other folks
ate meat, we ate nolasses. Other folks
dresses their wives in merino, mine
wore calico; other folks wasted their
money on schooling, my boys and girls
learned TO work early and keep It NJ
late. wasted no money on sick peo'
pie, churches, paupers or books, and,
he concluded, triumphantly--'and now
| own to the creek, and that land, will
the fields yonder and the stock in my
barns, are worth one hundred rhousanC
dollars. Do you see? And on tn,
thin, hard lips, was an attempt tC
laugh.
"The house was bare and comfort
less his wife, worn out by work, hat
long ago crept into her grave; Of hi
children, taught to make money thei
god, one daughter, starved in body ant
mind, was still drudging in his kitchen
one son had taken to drink, having M
other resource, aud died in prison th'
other, a harder miser than his father
remained at home to fight with hin
over every penny wrung out Of hi
fertile fields. Ycrterday | buried thi
man. continued the Clergyman. "Nei
ther neighbor, friend, son nor daugh
ter, she'd u tear over him Ills childrc'
were eager TO begin the quarrel fol
the ground he had sacrificed bis life t
earn. OF it all, he only had now
earth enough to cover his deoayet
body.
"Economy for noble purpose" add
ed the good clergyman, is virtue; bu
in the houses of some Il is avarice, and
like wolf, devours intelligence, re
ligion, hope and life itselE'-Youth'i
Companion.